September 08, 2010Today is Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010. The sight, sounds and smells of fall are in the air. It is a dull, dreary day...a downpour just a few minutes ago. I took myself to my cozy, study/computer room and spied my book "Through the Seasons at Memory Maples Farm." I had taken notes of happenings around the old home place from March 20, 1972 until March 20, 1973 and then made my kids each a copy for Christmas 1973. They didn't exactly jump up and down with glee that Christmas day, in fact I wondered if they thought it sort of dumb. Now, 38 years later, if they still have them, they may enjoy those good ol' days. However, I do remember Alan saying once that the only thing good about the good ol' days was that they were gone. Yeah, I guess so in some ways. My copy looks a little sad as it took a little beating in that infamous flood in our neck of the woods August 9, 2009.

Inside the front cover I put a picture of Memory Maples Farm and inside the back cover is a picture of Alan and Pauline's farm. It took quite a beating in the flood. Then there is a cardboard page with the story from a newspaper, "They Went North to Horse Around with Mother Nature" glued to it. A story of a week with The Family Trailriders on Elk Hill outside of Vanderbilt in June of 1973. How great rereading and reliving that adventure. Great pictures accompany the story...some of the gang watering their horses in the lake nearby, others shampooing and bathing in the lake, the breakfast cooks flipping flapjacks around the campfire. Some of us enjoyed riding in the evening. "One evening a few of us saw a bull elk in velvet on a high bank beside the trail. He was silhouetted against the twilight sky." That is a scene I think I will never forget.

The last of August usually found us at Red's brother Neal's cottage near Fairview. That year was no different. "We took our canoe and had some nice moonlight rides on the quiet little lake. We both enjoy getting up early while there. Red to go fishing while I prefer strolling through the woods peeking around for deer and turkeys. Quite often there is a deer or sometimes a doe and fawn in the yard when I first pop my head up in the morning. We arrived home August 29 to find the swallows had left. (They were still skimming the pond when I was there Sunday the 29th but, I suppose they are gone by now.)

"Red and Alan are busy baling straw. They bought some from Pat Rollins and have to make trips back and forth to Capac everyday.

"The last day of August found me in the blueberry patch on Graham Road. I love to pick blueberries. I try to go early when the day is yet fresh and young and there aren't too many people around to spoil the quietness. I usually pick more than I need because I keep saying, "Just one more bush."

Labor Day will have come and gone when you read this. I hope you had an enjoyable weekend. I remember one Labor Day when we had the "Capac Gang" over for a corn roast. We filled a milk can about 1/3 full of water, added corn with husks left on and sprinkled a cup of brown sugar over the top, put the lid on and set it over a grill with a hot fire beneath. (We were told, wait for the lid to pop off, ha! ha!) It did get up a good head of steam and let it cook close to an hour. Yummy! Not many milk cans around anymore.

—Country Cousin

Gertie Brooks is a lifelong Almont area resident. A 'farm girl,' Gertie is the premier historian for the Almont area, and frequently offers her memories and first-hand accounts in her 'Country Cousin' columns.